Terra Cognita
by Betty BOKOR
Summary: Sarah wants to go back.
1. Chapter 1

**Terra ****Cognita **by Betty Bokor  
Jareth/Sarah. Sarah wants to go back.  
Spoilers: The movie, the book, and some of the Return series.  
Disclaimer: The Labyrinth original characters belong to The Jim Henson Company and Lucasfilms Ltd. This was written strictly for the purpose of entertainment. No attempt at copyright infringement has been made.

**Terra ****Cognita**

******Chapter 1**

Alice looked at her friend one more time, still doubting her sanity. They had been friends forever, since before kindergarten. They had counted on each other during the roughest times in high school. They had kept their friendship even after leaving their native town to go to different colleges. They were like sisters and they would do anything for the other one…

But this was just plainly insane.

Sarah was standing in front of her, _checking her gear_ for the last time. She was wearing a long dress that seemed to have escaped from a fairy tale book, and _handmade_ flat shoes. Her hair was up and ribbons and flowers adorned it gracefully. She would have looked ready to visit the closest Renaissance Fair if it weren't for the bulky backpack hanging from her shoulders.

"Okay… I think I'm ready," Sarah said nervously clutching a little red book in her hands.

Alice sat on the armchair and sighed. "Look, Sarah… I'm going to ask this again, just in case… I know we've talked about this, but the closer it gets, the crazier the whole thing seems to me… So, there it goes, for the last time: _Are you sure?_ What if nothing happens? What if the guy never shows up and you don't go anywhere?" She paused for a second and considered her own question. "Well, that wouldn't be bad… But, what if you _really _disappear? Are you sure your parents will believe that story you sold them about going backpacking around the world… on your own? And _if _he gets here, are you _really sure_ I have to tell him that I don't want to race the clock for you? That I don't care enough for you to even try the labyrinth thing? Or… or worse… what if… what if you_ never _come back? Can I call him again somehow? Ask about you?"

Sarah knelt in front of her, put the book on the floor, and grabbed her hands in an attempt to calm her down. "We've discussed this. I've read the book very carefully. I know some things didn't _exactly_ go as in the book the last time, but I don't know what the variables are, so I can't be sure of anything… _Nevertheless, I have to try._ You ‒more than anyone‒ you know how much I've obsessed about this since we were juniors in high school… Well, I'm twenty-two years old now, I finished college, I worked hard, I saved my own money… I've done everything my parents expected of me and now it's time to do what _I_ want. And _I want to go back_. I want to see _him_ again."

"I know, I know… But you have to understand… I wasn't there; I don't know how much of it is… is…"

"True?" Sarah interrupted. "You've meet my friends from the Underground, haven't you? You thought I was having a mental breakdown or something when I told you about the labyrinth, but, then, _you met them_. You know they're real."

"_They_ are real… but what about _him_? Is _he_ real? I've never seen _him_, have I? In all these years, he's never come with them."

"He's their king. There's no way he would lessen himself to come visit _me_, a nobody. I know he's still there, I know he's still the king, and I know he still takes care of the wished-away. That's all I need. I asked my friends many times and I always got the same answers. So, I want to see him and this is the only way I can think of. That's why I need your help."

"And what _after_ you see him? What if he makes you become a goblin… or something worse?" She thought about it. "No; I can't think of anything worse," Alice added, worried.

"I don't know what will happen. And it truly doesn't matter. I need to see him. I haven't been able to stop thinking about him for almost eight years… You know where all my relationships have gone… straight to disaster, and it's all because of him. Nobody can compare to him. Nobody comes close."

"But, I told you, Sarah," Alice tried one more time; "I think you're in love with an ideal. You've idealized that man ‒or whatever he is, because you don't even know whether he's a man or not‒ and now you can't stop believing your own fantasy."

"Fine, let's say you're right;" Sarah conceded. "Let's say he's not as…" she took a deep breath, "not as _amazing_ as I remember him, then, the only way to end this is to meet him again and prove myself wrong."

"And if you can't come back after that? You really don't remember, Sarah. Right after that night, you almost hated him. You were so happy that you had defeated him; you were ecstatic that you had recovered your brother. You didn't want to see the guy ever again…"

"But I was too young! I didn't understand what he was offering; I just said no because I wanted Toby back. My dad would have killed me if I had lost him… I would have killed myself."

"And what? _Now_ you _know_ what he was offering? _Now_ you understand?"

Sarah sighed again. "I think I do. You know I can't be sure, but if there's any chance, even a little one, that he would allow me to stay there, maybe even ask me again… "

Alice sat back, feeling defeated. This was just a repetition of a conversation they had had several times before. She was going to do as Sarah wanted and she would deal with the consequences when the time came. There was nothing else she could do to dissuade her. Sarah had been planning this for too long and the moment had come to face it.

"Okay; let's do it," she said, trying to look confident.

Sarah picked up her book and stood up. "Yes!"

Alice grabbed her hands, closed her eyes, and repeated the words she had carefully learned. "_I wish the goblins would come take you away right now!_"

Less than a second passed before she felt Sarah had let go of her hands. She opened her eyes and was surprised by the complete darkness of the room. She raced to the wall to find the light switch and turned on the lights.

Sarah was not there; that was certain. But no magical king had come to offer her rescue. No trace of glitter had been left behind. No snickering goblins had mocked Alice for her foolishness…

Sarah was just gone and there was nothing she could do to bring her back.

**_A. N._****_: This is a very short story I wrote to give myself a push towards typing the end of Rites of Passage. Life has been awfully complicated lately, but I wanted to safeguard my little time to write._**

**_The completed Terra Cognita will be published entirely between today and the first of January. Hope you enjoy!_**


	2. Chapter 2

**Terra ****Cognita **by Betty Bokor  
Jareth/Sarah. Sarah wants to go back.  
Spoilers: The movie, the book, and some of the Return series.  
Disclaimer: The Labyrinth original characters belong to The Jim Henson Company and Lucasfilms Ltd. This was written strictly for the purpose of entertainment. No attempt at copyright infringement has been made.

**Terra ****Cognita**

******Chapter 2**

Sarah felt disoriented for a few seconds until she realized she was in the middle of the pit in the Goblin Throne Room. Goblins, chickens, and many other exotic creatures surrounded her. Some looked at her with curiosity in their eyes. Others ignored her as if she were one of the usual inhabitants of the castle.

She had succeeded. She was back, though not _exactly_ where she wanted to be yet; she felt she had virtually fallen into a giant nest… until she turned and saw the Goblin King lazily stretched on his throne, looking at her with interest as he rhythmically beat one of his boots with his swagger stick.

"So… Sarah, you're back," he said matter-of-factly when their eyes met.

Sarah felt a shiver go up her spine, but she still took a few seconds to look around again, feeling confused. Shouldn't he be aboveground, challenging Alice to fight for her freedom? Shouldn't she be alone with the goblins, waiting for him to be done with the wisher? She had counted on those moments on her own, a time to regroup, take stock of the situation, plan the next move.

He was now sitting, looking straight at her, waiting for an answer.

She finally managed to utter a word. Kind of… "Yeah." She took a deep breath and tried again. "Yes, I'm back. Did you talk to Alice already?"

"No."

The dry, concise answer worried her. Not much feeling in his words. No emotion. Was he angry she had come back? Amused? Bored?

"Why not?"

"Why should I?" he replied with contempt as he stood and began walking towards her.

She somehow felt burdened by her backpack and slowly let it go down to the stone floor. She had the inkling that she needed to be free to react to whatever came next. What would he do to her?

"Well, she wished me away… Doesn't she have thirteen hours to get me back?" she asked, trying to decide whether to already regret her decision to come back.

He was circling around the top of the pit, scrutinizing her. He looked as menacing as he had looked when she was fifteen. He looked even more beautiful than she remembered. The fluttery feeling in her stomach reminded her of the first reaction he had caused on her. Was it nerves or something else?

"She had no intention of wishing you away, Sarah," he answered impatiently. "She was simply obeying _your_ wishes. _You_ wished _yourself_ away _to me_… The question is… Why?" He stopped walking and looked straight at her.

The fluttering intensified. She had trouble finding an answer. "I thought it was time. I felt… there was…" she tried gesturing with her hands, "some unfinished business," she tried.

"_Unfinished business_," he repeated slowly, "I see. So, what is it that you want to finish, Sarah?"

She wished she was above the pit, facing him, and not down there, feeling like a prey. "The last time we talked," she started cautiously, "I was preoccupied… about my brother, Toby. I wanted to make sure he was okay and… To tell you the truth, I was a little overwhelmed. I was very young; you remember, right?"

"And you're not anymore?"

"No, of course not," she said almost offended. "I'm twenty-two; I'm an adult now."

He laughed happily and walked back to his throne. He used his swagger stick to push away a couple of goblins who were sitting in his place and sat down. "Twenty-two… It's been more than fifteen hundred years since I was that young… I don't know if I still remember."

Sarah gulped. _How old_ was he? It took her only a second to realize it did not matter. At all.

"We, humans, don't usually live up to even a hundred, so twenty-two is already a quarter. Grown-up, definitely," she said defiantly.

"So, now that you're more… mature, you want to finish this conversation we were having…" He looked at her with mischievous eyes. "I don't think I remember much of it. There are too many teenagers selfish enough to wish their siblings away. It's hard to keep track."

His dismissive tone irritated her. "But you _do_ remember my name," she countered boldly.

"Of course I do. I have to give my goblins permission to see you _weekly_," he stated without concealing his disdain.

"You _know_? You know they visit me? And you _let_ them?" She asked, surprised. She looked down and shook her head in astonishment; she had kept track of him through the goblins… and he had kept track of her.

"I know _everything_ about my subjects and they wouldn't get anywhere near you if I didn't allow it," he declared. "On the other hand, you keep inviting them and they seem to enjoy their visits; I have no reason to stop them."

She understood his point of view; it was just surprising that she had not thought of the consequences of the visits. She sighed. "So, that's why you remember me."

He seemed amused by her realization. "Most humans grow out of this kind of friendship while they're still in their teens," he said almost mockingly and smirked at her.

She felt at a disadvantage. She had thought that now that she was not a child anymore it would be easier to confront him, but it was not going very well. And talking to him from the pit did not help, so she walked to the corner steps and climbed out.

He looked at her with distrust and raised his swagger stick warningly to stop her from getting too close to him. "Alright… Let's end this. What do you want from me?"

His straightforwardness took her aback. She scrambled for words. "Okay… You said, that time, _even if you don't remember_, something like… that if I let you be my King, I could stay…" she finished, hoping he would understand.

"_I did?_" he asked with exaggerated disbelief.

"Well, you said it differently… More like… _let me rule you_… Do you remember that?" She prayed it would work.

He did not answer. He seemed to be idly considering her words. "And… you're now willing to _let me rule you_?" he finally asked.

"Well, I _do_ understand that you're the King here, so… yeah, I'm aware that _if I stay_, I'll be under your rule." She wanted to make it sound general enough, the same kind of power he had over everyone else in his kingdom.

He did not look convinced. Or interested. "And, in what _capacity_ would you want to stay in my world?"

"Hmm… I can do lots of things. I have a degree in education; I'm a teacher. I can help with the children you get here… I can also cook, very well, if I say so… And I play the guitar… and I'm very good at gardening; I could even help Hoggle…" She could not believe she had never thought that she would need a job in there. She had just planned up to the point of getting to the underground, getting him to allow her to stay, and… that was it. After that, she had not bothered to plot.

"Diverse talents…" he said, almost distractedly. "Anyhow, you should know that not just anyone can choose to remain with us. There are rules and… requirements."

"Okay. What do I need to do? Is there a manual or something I can study? A test to pass or something?"

"A test, yes, a test, but there's nothing you can study for this test. It's a test of your courage, your ingenuity, your heart."

"Oh…" She was starting to worry. "Okay; what do I have to do, then?"

"Nothing too complicated." He stood up again and got closer to her. "You aren't afraid, are you?" he asked and his voice made a chill run down her spine.

"No... Why would I be afraid? I made it here the last time, didn't I?" She was about to say, _I defeated you_, but she thought better and avoided aggravating him for no reason. "What is it now? Do I have to find my way out this time? Fight my way up to the hill before the labyrinth? Or something closer? Maybe, pick up the pieces of that Escher room…?" She could not help herself. He brought out that side of her.

The moment she posed the last question, she knew it was a mistake. His face changed immediately; his smirk disappeared and a somber expression took its place. "As arrogant as before… You haven't changed." he said condescendingly. He started walking towards a doorway that seemed to lead to the interior of the castle. "I'm sure that gardener can take care of you. I have more important things to do than fulfilling the wishes of a human child. Wait there and you'll be given instructions."

Before she could even utter another word, he was gone, followed by a small group of chattering goblins. She felt the impulse to follow him, but resisted it. She had to, at least for now, obey his commands if she wanted to be allowed to stay or to try passing the test, whatever it was. If he was mad at her, her chances of succeeding would be far less. Maybe being away from her would calm him down. She needed to learn to keep her mouth shut when it would only get her in trouble not to do so.

Since he was gone, she considered finding a place to sit down for a while. She was feeling tired, probably due to the lack of sleep ‒there was no way she would have slept the night before returning to the labyrinth‒ and the tension of her encounter with the King. But the throne was the only seat available and, somehow, it did not feel right to sit on it. She walked to the edge of the pit and sat with her legs hanging in it. Then, she looked around and, for the first time, she actually saw the throne room. The first time, she had been in too much of a hurry to even pay attention and today she had been busy with the King.

The place looked terrible. She could imagine herself giving a make-over to the room. First, a good cleaning, then maybe a nicer color on the walls, a couple of carpets and some curtains…

She shook her head. She was going crazy. She had not even earned the right to stay there yet. Who knew what would happen next? She did not have to wait for long to find out.

"Sarah! Is that you?"

She looked up and saw Hoggle walking towards her. "Hey, Hoggle!" she replied cheerfully.

"What are you doing here? You shouldn't be here…" he said with concern. He looked around, as if checking to see if he was being observed and added, "His Majesty asked me to help a lady who wanted to face the challenge." It sounded as if he had rehearsed the sentence several times before saying it.

"Well, I'm the one!" Sarah conceded happily. "I'm all ready; just tell me where to start and I'll do it!"

"My dear!" he whispered, getting close to her. "What did you have to go and say a thing like that for? You don't really want that, do you?"

"Yes, I do! I want to stay here, so whatever it takes…"

"But the challenge…" he got closer and spoke in a very low voice, "Let me put it this way, you gets in there and you pass the challenge and then… you're in trouble. You can't back out; you're done for it."

"Okay…" she whispered, too. "But, if I pass, I'll be allowed to stay here as long as I want, right?"

"It's not that! You'll _belong_ to that rat." He looked around again, afraid of being found out. "You'll be all his to decide your future."

"I know. He asked me and I said it was fine. He rules all of you, doesn't he? I used to think he was some kind of evil, but, all these years you've been visiting me, you all look happy… Aren't you? I've never seen any of you suffering or being punished or-"

"You've never been sent inside the Bog of Eternal Stench…"

"Neither have you, or I wouldn't be able to get this close to you," she singsonged.

He looked incensed. "Don't say I didn't warn you."

"Fine. Now, let's start this. What do I have to do?"

Hoggle walked a few paces away from her and assumed a more formal posture. "Alright, Lady. Here are the rules. You are to spend a whole night at the heart of the Labyrinth before the GoblinCity."

"That's it?" she interrupted.

"I'm not done," he said impatiently. "Now I have to start again." He resumed his more formal stance and said, "You are to spend a whole night at the heart of the Labyrinth before the GoblinCity and face the dangers and hardships presented to you."

Sarah remembered the phrasing and smiled. Hoggle seemed not to be paying attention to her.

"If at any time you decide to abandon the challenge, you will be immediately sent back to your original…" he paused and tried to remember, "your original… original… residence!" he finished triumphantly.

"I'm not quitting, uh-uh."

"You don't know what you'll find in there."

"It can't be much worse than the last time."

"You bet it would."

"Come on, Hoggle, Why are you trying to make me give up?"

"I don't suppose you've noticed that he's still mad at you," he confided, lowering his voice once again.

"When did he tell you that? Does he talk about me? What has he said? " she asked, hoping he _had_ said something.

"Nothing; he's never talked about you, but he's mad right now and it's all because of you. You've got to understand; nobody has ever passed the challenge before… and _many_ have tried. They always fail at one point or another. You needs to go back home and forget about this; I can help you with that. "

"It doesn't matter if the others failed. I'm staying and I'm passing this. Let's go."

He sighed with discontent and began walking towards the door.

"Can I take my backpack?" Sarah asked before following him.

"No. You have to do it on your own, without any help."

"Fine." She looked longingly at her bag ‒filled with everything she thought she could need in the Underground‒ and followed the dwarf.

Hoggle guided her to the center of the Labyrinth walking in complete silence. The journey was far shorter than she imagined it would be; she did not remember having taken that route before and everything seemed new to her. Several times along the way she felt the presence of creatures around them, but she never saw anyone.

When they finally reached their destination, Hoggle said, "Here we are then. You're on your own from now on."

Sarah smiled. "You told me that once before and, then, you came back and helped me."

"If I came to give you a hand, you'd be immediately disqualified and sent home. We've… er… sorta done that before… You know, when we didn't like the challenger too much."

"Seriously? Do you think someone would want me to fail? Can the King do it?"

"He don't care enough. I think he don't want anyone to pass because he's fine the way things are now, but if, for once, someone made it, it would make his parents _very_ happy."

"His parents? What do they care?" She had never thought of the King as someone with parents, but it seemed logical that he had them now that she thought about it. But not that they would worry about the subjects in his kingdom.

"Don't ask me. I'm done here. Good luck." He turned and left before she had a chance to ask anything else.

**_A. N._****_: Only two more to go and it's done._**

**_The completed Terra Cognita will be posted entirely by the first of January. Hope you enjoy and let me know what you think!_**


	3. Chapter 3

**Terra ****Cognita **by Betty Bokor  
Jareth/Sarah. Sarah wants to go back.  
Spoilers: The movie, the book, and some of the Return series.  
Disclaimer: The Labyrinth original characters belong to The Jim Henson Company and Lucasfilms Ltd. This was written strictly for the purpose of entertainment. No attempt at copyright infringement has been made.

**Terra ****Cognita**

******Chapter 3**

Sarah looked around. The space was one of the squares in the stone section of the Labyrinth. Well, she called them squares; it was just a circular open space, surrounded mostly by stone walls and a couple of hedges. There were four large stone benches against the walls and she could see several passageways and alleys leading away from the center. It reminded her of the place where she had met the Wiseman. She was about to decide where it would be better to sit down so as to be aware of everything that happened around her when one of floor stones rose and a little creature came from under it.

"Hello," Sarah said. "What's your name?"

The creature ignored her question and stood there with his hands on his waist, waiting for her to pay attention. "Are you ready?" he asked with a bit of annoyance.

Sarah nodded.

"Alright. Rule number one: _You are not to leave the heart of the Labyrinth, for any reason, at any time, between sunset and sunrise_."

As soon as he was finished he disappeared under the stone and the floor regained its former look.

Sarah was surprised. She looked around. Where were the limits? How would she know when to stop? She walked toward one of the passageways to check if there were any markings or clear boundaries. She was about to enter the corridor when another floor brick rose and the small creature yelled from below, "Beware! You're about to leave the center and the sun is almost down!"

Though she was startled, what worried Sarah the most was that the orange sky was, in fact, getting darker by the minute. She had not made any preparations, found any shelter, or even any means to light the area to avoid facing the challenge in complete darkness. So she walked to one of the benches and sat down as she made a mental list of needs. There was nothing that could protect her in case of danger; the only cover she could get would be to squat under one of the benches, but she would still be very visible. Looking around she could not find anything else, just cold stone and overgrown shrubs. She would have to use whatever she had with her and that was not much either.

Trying to figure out how to make a torch, she realized that the petticoat she was wearing under the dress could be useful in several ways. She grabbed it at the bottom and ripped a piece apart for her torch; then she used the rest to cover the sides of the bench and make an improvised shelter. Several bricks and stones that were lying close to the edges of the square helped her secure the cloth.

Next, she approached one of the hedges to cut a few branches to build the torch; she would bind them with one of the ribbons from her hair and use the cloth for easy lighting.

She was distracted choosing the branches, when a pair of small goblins poked their heads among the leaves of the hedge. They snickered at her surprise for a few seconds and, then, they chanted together, "Rule number two: _You are not to physically hurt any inhabitant of the Labyrinth or cause any grievous damage to its structures, for any reason, at any time, between sunset and sunrise._"

This time Sarah was better prepared. Before they could disappear back into the bush, she grabbed them by their hair, "Wait!" she yelled.

"Ouch. This could be considered hurting," one of them said.

"It would immediately disqualify you," added the other.

"It's not sunset yet. I can still see the sun on the horizon," Sarah countered.

"She's right," conceded the smaller goblin.

After unsuccessfully trying to free themselves from her grip, the other one asked, "What do you want?"

"How many rules are there?" she wanted to know.

"Three."

"What is the third?"

"You'll be told when the right time comes."

"What if I don't let you go until you tell me," she threatened.

"The sun will go down soon… and you'll _have_ to let us go," the larger goblin stated with an eloquent grin.

She sighed. "Okay, okay. Can you tell me anything about what can happen tonight?"

"No," the goblins responded in unison.

Sarah sighed again and let them go. They disappeared in seconds.

She cut the branches and prepared the torch. Now she only needed a way to light it. She checked the small pockets in her dress. It had been a good idea to put pockets in the dress, but she had packed most of the useful stuff in her large backpack. No matches, no lighter… Not enough sun either. She had no way of lighting the torch unless she used two sticks the way she had learned while camping with her father, but that had been extremely hard to do. She put the torch under the bench and, with the last rays of sun, she searched the place for anything else she could use during the night.

"Rule number three," a girl's voice said behind her.

She turned and saw a small fairy flying close to her. "Oh, hello," she tried one more time.

"I'm in a hurry, lady; so just listen. That Hoggle guy is close and I don't like him; let's be done with this." She flew closer to Sarah and said, "Rule number three: _You are not to lift the red brick at the center of the Labyrinth,_ _for any reason, at any time, between sunset and sunrise._"

Sarah spun around immediately to check for a red brick before the light was completely gone. She had not seen anything red before in the deserted stone square, but, now, there it was: a perfectly rectangular red brick exactly located in the center of the floor.

"Why not?" she asked before the fairy flew away.

"I don't have to tell you," was the response.

"But you _want_ to tell me…" Sarah tried.

"Why would I want such a thing?"

"Well, I don't know…" Sarah said playing her cards. "But you're right; you shouldn't tell me. Hoggle would be very upset if you did; I'm sure it could even get him in trouble with the King, and I would never do that to him," she finished.

"You think?" the fairy asked, starting to feel more inclined to telling the secret.

"I can't be certain, but," she approached the fairy and whispered, "I heard that the King was already pretty mad at him; he could even fire him and they would have to get a new gardener."

"A new gardener…" the fairy repeated, clearly enjoying the idea. "Do you think His Majesty could send him head first into the Bog of Eternal Stench?"

Sarah nodded convincingly.

"Sounds interesting."

"Look,-" Sarah paused, "What's your name?"

The fairy hesitated for a few seconds and then answered, "Zwielicht."

"Look, Zwielicht, you have nothing to lose by telling me and I can be very useful to you later on, if I get to stay here. You may need my help someday."

The fairy thought about it for a short while, until she finally relented. "Fine, I'll tell you; but you have to promise not to tell it was me, so that they think it was him; okay?"

"Sure, I promise. I won't tell."

"Okay… There's a wand hidden under the brick," she whispered. "A magic one. It can transform objects ‒even dwarves, if you need to‒ and it can be also be used to stun people, especially those who annoy the King. It paralyzes them for a few minutes. Very useful if you ask me."

"But, why is it there? Shouldn't it be in the castle or with the King?"

"I didn't understand that part very well, but it had something to do with _temptation_."

"Temptation, eh?"

"Yeah… In any case, now I need to go. The sun is down and I have to find my sisters." She hastily flew away and left Sarah in complete darkness.

She realized that not only it was dark now, but the light that had surrounded them during their conversation had emanated from the fairy. And it was gone.

She tried to find her bearings in the dark and slowly made her way back to her bench. She had not been sitting there for more than a minute when a loud rumble startled her.

"Now what?" she wondered before a thin column of fire shot in her direction narrowly missed her. "Great!" she thought, but she could not elaborate more because a large figure in the shadows spat out a ball of fire at her. Sarah moved quickly and avoided shot after shot. The starless, dark night aided her in her escape but also impeded her from getting a good glimpse at the being spitting fire. After a few minutes, she was convinced that it was a large, roaring, seemingly reddish dragon, but she could not be certain.

She was feeling almost desperate; there was no real place to hide and she was almost worn out. Nevertheless, the game of firing and running for cover lasted what seemed to Sarah like an eternity, right until a characteristic smell told her that something had been burned. Soon she noticed that a section of her dress, near the hem, had a hole probably caused by a spark; it was a miracle that the whole thing had not burned down around her…

Hoorah for flame-retardant fabrics.

But that was enough. The next breath of fire could incinerate her.

She climbed onto the nearest bench and, as soon as the fire came out of the mouth of the dragon, she used the glow to locate the face of the beast and yelled at him, "Stop this right now!"

The dragon's reply was a loud growl.

Sarah was not intimidated; she was not even scared anymore; she was irritated and tired. "Don't you dare growl at me! You burned a hole in my dress! You could have hurt me!" she shouted even louder than before.

The dragon roared thunderously.

"Stop it, I said!"

There was no answer this time. Sarah felt encouraged.

"So? Are you going to apologize or what?" she said angrily.

The dragon hissed. "Wow! So small and so irritable…" he said with clear contempt.

"Irritable? Seriously? You were trying to set me on fire!"

"Not really… Just playing," the dragon replied defensively. "Not many people around here to play with at night."

"Well," Sarah changed her tone to a more sedate one, "I'd have played with you if you'd asked me, but you started throwing fire at me… That's not very nice…" She talked in a sweeter voice. "Now, you could use some of that fire to light my torch and maybe I'd forgive you… I'd like to be able to see you while we talk. We could become friends and, if I get to stay in the Underground, perhaps we can play another day."

The dragon remained quiet for a few more seconds. Since she could not see him, she had no idea if her argument was working.

"Okay," the dragon finally agreed.

Sarah hurried to the bench where she had the torch and brought it closer to the dragon. She could clearly hear his breathing, but it was still hard to see the whole figure.

The beast spat a lean line of fire and lighted the torch. Sarah got a full view of the dragon and, for a second, felt fearful again. It was a large animal, with shiny scales that seemed to change color as the flames from the torch shed light over them.

"So… You really mean it? You'd play with me the next time?" the dragon asked shyly.

"It's a promise."

"Okay… Then, I'll be going now," the dragon said as he slowly turned away from Sarah. "Hope to see you again…" he added and was soon gone.

Sarah found a nook where to prop the torch and sat down on her bench. It was getting cold and the flame was not enough to keep her warm. She decided she needed to get some rest before something else happened. She did not know how long she had been running from the dragon, but it seemed like it had been hours since sunset. She lay on the bench, propped her head on her arm and tried to sleep.

It was not a restful sleep. She woke up in the middle of a nightmare, thinking she was stranded in a violent thunderstorm, soaked wet, and shivering. It took her only seconds to realize she _was_ there.

_It was raining cats and dogs_ sounded strangely appropriate. She hurried under the bench and lowered the curtain she had made with her petticoat. She had thought her improvised building could protect her if the night became too cold; she was not prepared for a deluge.

The sound of thunder seemed to come from right above her head and lightning illuminated her refuge through the white fabric. The strong wind threatened to dislodge her protective wall, so she used her hands to keep it in place. She had decided to stay there and wait until the storm passed, but, soon, that became impossible. Slowly, a thin layer of water covered the bottom of her shelter and rose as the tempest roared outside. Before long, Sarah felt the need to leave the bench and venture outside. Her clothes and shoes were drenched in water in seconds and she could not see beyond her nose. She grabbed what was left of her petticoat and put in over her head to protect herself. She climbed over the bench and hoped the water would not reach that height.

She could not understand how the Labyrinth would flood; she suspected only the area where she was standing was covered by water and she blamed the ill will of the King. "This is so not fair!" she thought as she shivered.

Behind the castle in the horizon she spotted the first rays of the sun rising. It was barely a glow, but it gave her hope.

She was starting to think she was almost done with her challenge, when she realized someone was crying. She searched the darkness for the source of the sound and noticed a pair of small goblins perched in a salient on the stone wall of a corridor behind her. They had a minute lantern with them and it allowed her to see that they looked as bad as she felt.

She prayed the sun would rise soon and end the storm, but, in no time, it became clear the goblins would probably not survive that long. A strange, hairy, ugly looking creature was approaching them, swimming with ease in the murky waters of the flood. A bizarre glow emanated from it as it swam. Large, pointy teeth protruded from its mouth. A low growl seemed to come from his throat.

The goblins were clearly terrified by the monster. They were crying for help, asking anyone around to rescue them, but nobody was replying to their pleas.

Sarah tried to think of a way to assist them, but she could not come up with anything. The water had risen above her ankles and she was still standing on the bench. Soon it will reach the goblins. Unfortunately, they were beyond the boundaries of the heart of the Labyrinth, so she could not walk up to them and rescue them. And the creature was approaching fast. It seemed feral, dangerous, and she had no weapons to face it. Unless she lifted the red brick and picked up the wand. But, even if she did so, she would still have to leave the confines of her square and she would be disqualified. She would break all three rules in less than a minute.

The seconds stretched as she debated with herself. She wanted to stay underground so badly… She had been preparing for this moment for years and she was almost done with the challenge. Her goal seemed within grasp. Was she willing to sacrifice the goblins to achieve her dream? Or her dreams to save the little goblins?

She finally made a decision. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes for a second to say good bye to all her hopes, and jumped into the water. She waded until she reached what seemed to be the center of the square, held her breath, and dove into the water. She patted the bricks, trying to lift them one by one, searching for the right one. After a few seconds, she succeeded and a brick rose as she pulled. She thrust her hand into the compartment below and searched for the wand. As she pulled it out, she prayed that it would work even if wet; she hoped water did not affect magic.

She plodded as fast as she could through the water towards the goblins. She could see the monster getting closer and closer, she crossed the threshold and, with a sigh, pointed the wand toward the creature and yelled, "Stop!"

For an instant, she was not sure she had accomplished her objective, until she saw the monster immobile in the middle of the stream. She reached for the goblins, grabbed them and took them with her to the center of the square.

She had barely made it, when water, storm, goblins, and monster, all disappeared as the sun shone radiantly on the horizon.

"I'd say _well done_ if you hadn't broken every single rule you were supposed to follow."

Sarah, still in shock, turned to find the King of the Goblins propped against one of the walls, looking at her with a triumphant smile.

She looked at herself. She was still soaked, her dress was in ruins, and her hair was slowly dripping water over her chest and back. She could not even describe what had happened to her shoes.

She sighed noisily. "Well, you stacked the odds against me, didn't you? I couldn't let them die. You knew I'd had to save them."

"I didn't know if you'd save them. Many before you have allowed them to perish in order to pass the challenge."

"What do you mean? You kill a pair of goblins every time someone wants to pass the challenge?" she asked, indignant.

He laughed heartily. "Of course not; it's always the same goblins. _I _don't let them die. They're my subjects; it's my mission to protect them, but the illusion is created for every contestant. Nobody has risked it all for them before. You're the first."

"What do you want me to tell you? I just couldn't do it."

"I thought you truly wanted to stay with us."

"I did… I do, but not at that price."

He looked at her for a few moments with a serious expression. "Well, then… That has earned you the right to stay," he finally declared.

She was speechless. "What do you mean? I _can_ stay?" she managed to ask.

"I just said so. I don't like to repeat myself." He turned and began walking towards the castle. "Follow me. You'll be given a room and clean clothes… and real shoes. My parents will want to meet you before lunch."

Sarah was stunned. She followed him as close as she could, but avoiding to get too close. When they reached the castle, the King left her behind and a smiley goblin led her to a spacious, sumptuously decorated room.

"Is this my room or should I change here and then leave?" she asked.

The goblin looked at her as if she had grown a second head. "You can leave whenever you want, but this is your room, Lady," he replied. "Your breakfast is on that table by the fireplace."

She felt like jumping on the giant bed, but she did not want to ruin it with her wet clothes. She ate a few pieces of what looked like toast, found a bathroom, and took a long bath. When she returned to the room, there were new clothes stretched on the bed. A beautiful pair of shoes was visible right under the bed.

She got dressed and looked at herself in a large mirror on the south wall. The clothes, the fabrics, the shoes, all seemed suitable for a queen. It was a dream come true. Well, not her _true_ dream ‒that would probably be impossible‒ but good enough.

She was there, in the Underground. She was close to him. She would find a job, something to do, something that could allow her to get to know him better…

She sat on the edge of the bed and waited for whatever would come next. She was there and that was all that mattered.

**_A. N._****_: Only one more to go and it's done._**

**_The completed Terra Cognita will be posted entirely by the first of January. Have a Happy New Year and let me know what you think!_**


	4. Chapter 4

**Terra ****Cognita **by Betty Bokor  
Jareth/Sarah. Sarah wants to go back.  
Spoilers: The movie, the book, and some of the Return series.  
Disclaimer: The Labyrinth original characters belong to The Jim Henson Company and Lucasfilms Ltd. This was written strictly for the purpose of entertainment. No attempt at copyright infringement has been made.

**Terra ****Cognita**

******Chapter 4**

Sarah was awaken by a knock on her door. It took her a few seconds to remember where she was. She had fallen asleep on the large bed. She got up hastily, fixed her clothing, and walked to the door. She expected to see the happy goblin, but her heart skipped a beat when she found the King on the other side of the door.

"Are you ready for lunch?" he asked without much emotion.

"Sure, yes."

He offered his arm to her and she took it. As they walked in silence through the corridors, she took the time to observe her surroundings. In the morning, she had been too tired to pay attention, but now she had a good chance. The stone floors and walls resembled what she had seen of the castle during her first visit; however, the interior of the castle seemed to be much more elegant than the throne room. Actually, anything would seem better to her than that room.

As they crossed through different areas of the castle, she realized that no goblins were seen _littering_ the place as in the throne room. They appeared to be confined to that room when in the castle. The few goblins she had seen since then seemed well groomed and well behaved and no chicken had crossed their path.

After a few minutes, they reached their destination. Two heavy doors opened and the King led her into a splendid but small room. Close to a large window in the back, there was a tall, thin man chatting with a beautiful woman by his side. As soon as they noticed Sarah and the King, they stopped talking and smiled at them.

"Father, Mother, this is Sarah Williams. She has just passed the Labyrinth challenge," the King announced as they approached the couple.

"Sarah! It's a pleasure to meet you, young lady," the man said. "I'm Iain, High King of the Seelie Court, and this is my wife, Queen Aisling."

Sarah curtsied almost automatically.

"Congratulations," the Queen said. "We've been waiting for Jareth to approve a challenger for a long time. I cannot even remember when was the last time he allowed anyone to try," she smiled at her son, "so, as soon as we were informed you were running, we decided to come."

Jareth looked uncomfortable.

"But, now that you have passed the test, we will be happy to welcome you into our family."

Sarah felt their enthusiasm seemed exaggerated; she had not accomplished that much, but, she supposed, it was a novelty for them that a human would want to stay in their world. It was nice, on the other hand, that they thought of their people as a family and that they were willing to welcome her to it. She had no time for more analysis because she was soon led into the dining room where the conversation revolved around life in the Underground and her life aboveground.

After lunch, Jareth accompanied her back to her room. He opened the door for her, kissed her hand and retreated as he said, "I'll be in the library if you want to talk."

Sarah closed the door behind her, feeling flustered and giddy at the same time. He was willing to talk with her? That sounded marvelous… And a library! Her favorite place in the world.

She was about to take her shoes off, when she noticed an eclectic group sitting in the small area by the fireplace.

"Hoggle? Sir Didymus? Ludo?" There were also several goblins sitting by the fire and even Ambrosius was there. "What are you all doing here?"

"We have come to celebrate your victory, milady," Sir Didymus said.

"Especially if you're going to cook around here…" a small goblin added. "It would be unfair if we can't have those treats you always bake for us anymore."

"Oh, don't worry!" She sat with them. "I'll bake any time I can! We have to figure out where I'll live and what I'll do for a living, but as soon as I find the right place, I'll be happy to prepare your favorites."

The creatures looked at each other as if she had said something alarming.

"So, you haven't asked… or you _did_ ask and he said _no_?" Hoggle wanted to know.

Sarah was clueless as to what he meant. "Asked what?"

"You know; if that rat was willing to consider you for _the job_."

"What job?"

"The queen job," Hoggle said with impatience, as if it were evident. "We'd really like you to be the queen… Much better than him, that's for sure…" he explained.

"What?" she asked again. "I don't know what you're talking about," she confessed, though the idea of becoming Jareth's queen sounded delicious.

"Oh, fair maiden, His Majesty is a good King, we know that, but a lady by his side would sweeten his character, improve his mood… He's been lonely for too long."

Sarah still looked confused. "Okay, okay. Let's start at the beginning. I haven't asked him anything like that and I don't think I'd dare, either. Why would I? It's not like I found an ad saying that the job was vacant…"

"You asked him to pass the challenge and he let you… and you passed it… So, that gives you the right to be considered at least, right? All you have to do is ask. Didn't he tell you nothing about this?" Hoggle tried.

Sarah shook her head, feeling a mix of exhilaration and dread. "So, let me see if I understood this correctly. When I asked to pass the test and stay here, he thought I meant it as his wife?"

"What else was he supposed to think?" another small goblin who visited Sarah regularly asked.

Sarah had trouble breathing. He had believed she was asking to be tested to be his wife and he had agreed. "Is it true he had not allowed a challenger in a long time?"

"Oh, yes, milady," Didymus confirmed. "Right around the time you visited the Labyrinth with your brother, he stopped accepting suitors. His parents were extremely concerned about his behaviour."

She felt dizzy. She stood and walked back and forth trying to calm down. Then, she sat back on the floor, close to her friends. "Okay. I passed the test. What comes next?"

"You ask him to consider you. See, you have the first requirement; you have the heart in the right place, you care about us… Now he has to decide if you're qualified in every other way. The test don't matter if he says you're not right," Hoggle clarified.

"What do I need to be _right_?"

"Only he knows. I don't care what he thinks; I think you're right, but he's the only one who can decide. Go ask," Hoggle requested again.

"Right now?"

"Make haste, milady. Ask while his parents are here; they need to welcome you after he's chosen you," Didymus added.

Sarah felt dizzy again. The Queen had said that they would be happy to welcome her into their family. Had Jareth confided in her before Sarah got there? Or was it just his parents' need to see him married? She was willing to take the risk anyway. "Is there a special procedure, something I should do?"

"Just ask," Hoggle responded.

Sarah stood up. She knew where he was and that he was waiting for her. "Where's the library?"

"One floor down, on the left wing," the smallest goblin answered. "I can take you there."

She agreed and the goblin took her through halls and stairs until they reached an intricately ornate door.

"Here we go. The library, Sarah, but you have to do this yourself," the goblin said and quickly left her alone.

Sarah considered knocking, but she thought a library was not a private room, but more a public one, so she slowly opened the door. Jareth was sitting in a leather armchair, holding a book in his hands, but he did not seem to be reading. It looked like he was deep in thought.

She looked around. Two floors and uncountable shelves gave the impression of an infinite collection. Special books, manuscripts, and parchments were displayed on tables and stands. Large paintings and many other works of art decorated the large space.

Sarah could spend her life in that room.

Jareth noticed her and called her name.

"Sarah, you've come." He appeared somewhat surprised; he stood and invited her to sit in the armchair facing his. With a gesture of his hand, the fire in the hearth close to them came to life.

The King sat back and just looked at her expectantly.

"So…" she started nervously. "I'm not sure I understood exactly how this works, but Hoggle and Sir Didymus seem to think that I could be… considered…" She was not sure she would be able to say the words and he was not helping with his silence. "That maybe you'd consider the possibility of me…" She had trouble understanding why it was so difficult to talk about something she wanted. She was not shy; she had no trouble talking to boys, but he was not a boy and he was somehow intimidating. And this was _so_ personal. It was easier to argue with him. How did men manage to propose to women? Was that _fear of rejection_ the feeling in her gut that kept nagging at her? She sighed and stood. "Okay; I can't do this; I don't know how to talk about this or if I should talk about it at all or if we've all gone crazy and-"

"Is it so hard for you to imagine being my wife?" he interrupted. "Is it so dreadful that you can't even put it into words? Then I misunderstood your intentions when you returned. If all you wanted was to make the Underground your place of residence, then I'll make sure you find proper housing and an activity suited to your skills."

Sarah felt he was dismissing her. He grabbed his book from the small table where he had left it and opened it to read. He looked hurt, sad, disappointed, and it reminded Sarah of their last conversation so many years ago. It hurt just to think about it.

"No," she said softly. She knelt by his side, took the book from his hands, and put it back on the table. "That's not what I wanted."

He looked at her with such intensity that she shivered. To be this close to him made her feel all kinds of new sensations.

"The truth is I wanted to be here to be close to you." She expected a reaction, but he did not move. 'Ever since I left, I've thought that there was something there, at the end, that I didn't understand, that I missed because I was too young or too immature to understand. So I wanted to come back and figure out if there was a chance that I was right."

He did not answer immediately and the seconds seemed eternal to Sarah.

"You are right," he began slowly, "but it's also true that you were too young then; I was simply offering you the chance to stay here and see what the future could bring."

"I'm here now," she said as she got a little closer and grabbed his hand.

He did not pull his hand from hers, but he did not look moved by her words. "You've shown that you care about my subjects for many years; I was sure you'd pass the challenge, but I'm not certain you're ready to spend your life by my side. And life here is not as short as in your world; once you become one of us ‒and by that, I mean a fae, not a goblin‒ your life will be much longer. We don't need to rush. We can get to know each other and, in time, maybe you'll consider the possibility of being my queen."

Sarah smiled. He was serious; he cared about her. She felt more relaxed; she could trust him, but she was not a patient woman. "Maybe we can do it the other way around…" she suggested with a small smile.

He was surprised by her boldness, but he liked it. "How's that?" he asked, feigning lack of understanding.

"The closer you get to someone, the easier it is to get to know him… Besides, I've been listening to stories about you for almost eight years; I think I know you pretty well; I don't really need to wait."

He had to smile. It had been a very long time since he had had someone that young and impetuous around. And this someone seemed as attracted to him as he was to her. He really liked her. "I've been listening to stories about you, too," he smiled. "Would you mind if we make a formal announcement tonight to inform everybody that the kingdom will soon have a queen?"

"I wouldn't mind it at all if it's _very soon_."

"Not soon enough," he replied; he leaned down and kissed her and Sarah immediately knew _all_ her dreams would come true.

**_A. N._****_: It's done. _****_Have a Happy New Year and, please, let me know if you enjoyed it!_**


End file.
